ELSE BETTCHER

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ELSE BETTCHER Our beloved "Omi", sister, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, peacefully went to be with her Lord Jesus on Wednesday, July 4, 2018 at 10:05 a.m. at Oakview Place Personal Care Home. Else was born on November 20, 1928 in Sergejufka (Sierhiejówka), Poland (now Ukraine) to Albert and Holdine Pahl (Kussmaul). As her parents died when she was young, she was taken in and raised by her relatives, the Dreger family. She recalled that as a young girl she would prepare meals for the entire family "from scratch", which included first catching, then slaughtering and plucking the chicken! After the Second World War, she and her family fled to the town of Uppen in Hildesheim, West Germany. In March, 1948 she married Adam Bettcher, whom she had known since childhood but who had been interned in a Russian POW camp until 1947. They welcomed two children, Edeltraut (Edie) in 1949 and Berthold (Bert) in 1950. Following Adam's brothers, the family immigrated to Canada in 1953, first to southern Alberta, and finally to Winnipeg. Diligent and good-humoured with an eye for detail, Else worked for many years as a sorter of industrial diamonds for Delro Industries. In addition to being devoted to her husband, children and grandchildren, Else and her family were faithful and active members of McDermot Avenue Baptist Church. She was the source of many whimsical pet names for members of the family, as well as delightfully idiosyncratic terms ("peanuts butter", "skin milk", "screwls", "washlappen", etc.), many of which stuck and have become part of everyday speech in the family to this day. Sunday afternoons and holidays saw her extended family regularly descend on her home to enjoy the good company and a large, delicious meal that she had lovingly prepared. She enjoyed going for daily walks through Assiniboine Park and was an avid gardener. Else will be lovingly remembered by her sister Loni; brother-in-law Alex (Lydia); son Bert (Jeanie); son-in-law Jack Mourre; nephew Helmut Sass; niece Erika Konitz; grandchildren, Michelle (Yuri Hooker) Mourre and Sean Mourre; great-grandchildren, Elly and Ari Hooker; and close friend Karl Eisbrenner. She was predeceased by her husband Adam in November of 2017 and by her daughter Edie Mourre (wife of Jack) in 2007. The family would like to thank the staff at Oakview Place who have tenderly cared for Else with grace, dignity and compassion since 2015. A funeral service will be held on Monday, July 9, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at Chapel Lawn Funeral Home, 4000 Portage Avenue with viewing at 9:00 a.m. and interment at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Oakview Place Extendicare (Bladder Scanner Fundraising Drive). For those who wish to sign the online Guest Book please visit www.chapellawn.ca Chapel Lawn Funeral Home 204-885-9715

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jul 07, 2018